Process of making traveler rings



June 12, 1923.

R. CROMPTON PROCESS OF MAKING TRAVELER RINGS Filed Nov. l9 1921 Inventor.- Raw/0202,2177, 0F0?y% 7,

diizys Patented June 12, 1923.

UNITE STATES:

RANDOLPH CROMPTON, on WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

rnocEss or MAKING TRAVELER RINGS.

Application filed November 19,1921. Serial No. 516,458.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, RANDOLPH CROMPTON,

a citizen of the Unitedstates, and a resident of Worcester, in the county of VVorcester and State of Massachusetts,-have invented an Improvement in Processes of Making Traveler Rings, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a process of making traveler rings.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I shall set forth the best'mode known to me for producing a traveler ring in accordance with my invention, and I have disclosed in the accompanying drawing one form of ring so made inaccordance with myinvention.

In said drawing: I I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a traveler ring made in accordance with my invention and showing a support therefor;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the construction shown in Fig. 1 upon the line 2-2 of said figure; and I Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. '1 but representing the ring as detached from its support or holder.

An important object of my invention is to produce a traveler ring for spinning or twisting yarn or thread and from material that will render the ring self-lubricating and preferably non-corrosive and non-oxidizable as well as one having a very hard I and preferably a superhard surface.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the ensuing description.

Traveler rings are customarily cut from a tube of steel into a ring form-and are then ground and polished. It has been proposed to cast a traveler ring but a cast ring of materials heretofore proposed has not proved practical. Traveler rings stamped from sheet metal have also been'proposed. but have not, so far as I am aware, been used to. any substantial extent commercially, not being capable of withstanding wear to a satisfactory extent.

Incarrying out my. invention I employ some suitable metal orpreferably an alloy that'is'capable of. being cast or otherwise formed into shape'and which at the same time is very hard, is non-corrosive or nonoxidizable and particularly is self-lubricating, by which I mean that the ingredients of the'alloy so co-act upon or with the traveler as to lubricate the'rubbing surfacesof these parts and lessen their friction upon each other. I V

I have discovered that chromium or an alloy composed in part ofchromium, with whichis'desirably combined nickel or cobalt is substantially self-lubricating, that it is non-corrosive or non-oxidizable and that it is of very great-hardness. I therefore, in carrying out my invention, produce by casting rolling or otherwise suitably treating, a traveler ring so as toprovide thereon a running flange and preferably a running flange at both the upper and lower faces thereof so as to permit the ring to be reversed after it has become somewhat worn at the first used running end.

In the drawing a suitable ring holder or support for the ring is indicated at 1, it

being of any suitable material and construc tion not herein necessary more fully to disclose. Preferably said holder or support is formed as a split ring or body as indicated at 2, so that it may frictionally engage and hold. from rotation the traveler ring indicated generally. at 3. If desired and as shown a clearer 4: of, any suitable construction may be employed. As represented, the holder. or support is provided with an up standing flange providing a shoulder 6 for the reception at its inner side of the ring 3. The traveler ring 3 is desirably cast, rolled or otherwise suitably formed so that it may be reversible and to that end it is provided with flanges land 8 at opposite ends thereof, either flange being capableof being received and held by the support or holder 1. If desired, any suitable cooperatingmeans may be provided'to retain the ring within the support orholder, as for example, retaining clipsor other suitable parts or devices. The traveler ring is provided witha suitable traveler 9which may be of any suitable shapeand is receivedover the upperor runacceptable methods of producing these traveler rings, two of which methods will result in a solidring of the alloy above outlined, the third method produces a ring of steel coated or'surfaced with the alloy above outlined. In my preferable method I cast in the rough a ring out of the suitable alloy,

then grind the ring both on the inside and the outside and on both flanges, lastly I polish the ring until it presents an abso lutely smooth surface. In my method, I roll into shape a ring of the desired form'after which it is necessary only to grind, to gauge and to polish the The rolling into shape is done hot, and 1t is possible to work the above outlined alloy when to the elements already mentioned is added a slight quantity of iron, approximately 20%, for example. The third method consists in making a under size ring of steel by any well known methodfplacing this ring on a rapidly rotating spindle and spraying thereupon the alloy outlined by means of an electric pistol spraying machine. Such spraying machine preferably consists of an electric are or oxyhydrogen, or oXy-acetylene element which fuses any desired metal or material, combined with an air stream preferably of about three atmospheres pressure which atomizes the fused material and projects it upon any desired surface. Such spraying machine .may be, and desirably is, of the type invented by one M. U; Sch0op. of Zurich. Switzerland, and disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,133,507, dated March 30, 1915.

Thering so cast or rolled has at least one running flange, and is preferably reversible.

. It has heretofore been proposed to make a traveler ring reversible, such ring being drawn. or spun or cast in iron. As a matter of fact, ,a successfully reversible traveler ring has never been produced so far as I am aware because if one end of the traveler ring be used for the traveler for a few months, as, for example, the flange 7, and it then is desired to reversethe ringand use the flange 8 for the traveler. it has been found that the flange 8 has oxidized Or be come corroded to such an extent as to render it nolongerpracticable to reverse the ring and to use said flange 8 for the traveler. Hence, a'traveler ring that is really and in fact always reversible has not been hereto fore produced so far as I am aware Hence, an important feature of myinvention and an important step in the process consists in the casting. rolling or otherwise suitably forming a ring of a metal or a metal alloy having the characteristics hereinbefore set forth and which peculiarly co-operate to provide an eflicient traveler ring.

Owing to the high speed at which atraveler rotates about a ring, such speed varying from between1,500 and 12,000 revolutions second per minute, it is of the highest importance that the ring be of a. material that is hard and will withstand wear. No material has been found heretofore to be wholly satisfactoryand furthermore no metal heretofore cast into ring form has been found hard enough to render a traveler ring commercially entirely satisfactory.

It is not feasible to lubricate a traveler ring or the traveler thereof in the general operation with a grease or oil because it would come in contact withthe yarn and injure same. A traveler ring that is in substance self-lubricating'is therefore of great importance in the art. Therefore, an important step in the process of my invention consists in the employment of a material and preferably a metal that is self-lubricating and especially is self-lubricating when. cast into ring form.

Desirably I employ chromium and cobalt or nickel as an alloy from the use of which the best results may be obtained. I preferably employ these substances in a proportion of somewhat more than 10% and somewhat less than about 50% of chromium. at least a part of the remainder of the alloy being cobalt or nickel. Other metallic ingredients may be included but for the purposes of the present disclosure the ring may be regarded as made at least mainly of chromium and cobalt or nickel with a small percentage of iron, the cobalt being preferred.

A ring so constructed is extremely hard andmaybe defined as superhard. It is capable of receiving and sustaining a very high polish. Itisfinherently self-lubricating in that the ingredients of the alloy so co-act upon or with the traveler as to lubricate the running surfaces of these parts and lessen their friction upon each other.

Because of the fact that the ring is of great or superhardness it is possible to run the traveler at a higher speed than heretofore customary with perfect smoothness.

Owing to the superlative smoothness of a traveler ring made of material above disclosed, it is possible to use a heavier traveler than usual, resulting in less traveler brealn age.

It is not necessarythat theent-ire ring be made or cast of a material such as stated since within the scope of my invention I may provide a ring, the flange of which or one at least of the flanges orthe upstanding portion 10 of which is of a material. such as herein described. Desirably,'however.4 at leastboth the flanges 7 and 8 are of such material and. in such case they may be secured in any suitable manner to the body or upstanding portion 10 of the ring. Desirably the entire ring, whether it have a single running flange or two running flanges, is made of a material having the characteristics hereinbefor'e set forth.

is non-corrosive and non-oxidizable. I have" also set forth that it is of great hardness. These two qualities combine to produce a highly efficient ring. It is well known that certain materials, such as aluminum, are non-corrosive, but they would be wholly unsuitable for use as a traveler ring because they are relatively soft.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a traveler ring with a. lining of wood treated with some lubricating material to reduce friction. Such material, however, wears very rapidly and obviously does not posses many of the properties of the material preferably employed by me.

It has also heretofore been proposed to construct a traveler ring of ceramic ma terials, including earthenware and porcelain, and also to construct it of glass. These materials have in practice been found to be unsuited for the purpose, being relatively fragile and breaking easily. Moreover in the case of glazed material, it has been found that after a comparatively short time the glazed surface wears away and the underneath material is wholly unusuable as a working ring surface.

Moreover, excepting where some such material as wood is treated with a lubricant, there is no feature or characteristic'of lubrication involved.

In those cases where a material such as wood is employed, and is saturated or treated with a lubricating material, it is obvious that not only is the lubricant-receiving material soft, but it is of an open, porous nature that is essentially different from the nature of the material employed byme.

I am aware that heretofore traveler rings of metal have been actually lubricated with oil or other lubricating materiahconducted thereto by capillarity or otherwise. Such provision, however, is seriously objectionable because it brings the oil or other lubricant into actual contact with the fibres that are being spun or twisted, to thegreat detriment thereof. I

It has also been proposed to construct a traveler ring of some non-metallic material, such as horn, hard india rubber or rawhide, but so far as I am aware, such a traveler has never been used to any substantial extent, since it is obvious that such a traveler must be of short durability or life.

Having thus set' forth the best mode known to me for producing a traveler ring in accordance with my invention and hav ing disclosed one embodiment of traveler ring constructed in accordance with my in vention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they I are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims.

1. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps; casting a metal suitable to produce a superhard surface and having selflubricating properties, into the form of a ring having a traveler receiving flange; and then grinding or polishing the ring to dimensions suitable for ring spinning purposes.

2. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps: casting a metal suitable to produce a superhard surface and having selflubricating properties, into the form of a ring having a traveler receiving flange; and then internally and externally grinding or polishing the ring to dimensions suitable for ring spinning purposes.

3. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps; casting a metal alloy containing chromium into the form of a ring having a traveler receiving flange, thereby presenting to the traveler a super-hard non-corrosive surface having a self-lubricating property.

4;. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes consisting in forming a traveler-bearing-flange ring of metal suitableto produce a superhard surface and having self-lubricating properties; and then Y grinding or polishing the ring to the proper dimensions for traveler guiding purposes.

5. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps; forming a metal suitable to produce a superhard surface and having selflubricating properties, into the shape of a ring having atraveler receiving flange, and then superficially treating the shaped ring.

6. That method of making a traveler ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps; forming a metal suitable to produce a superhard surface and having noncorrosive properties, into the shape of a ring having a traveler receiving flange. and then superficially treating the shaped rin 7. That method of making a trave er ring for textile purposes comprising the following steps; forming a'metal suitable to produce a superhard surface and having selflubricating, non-corrosive properties. into the shape of a ring having a traveler receiving flange, and then, superficially treating the shaped ring.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RANDOLPH CROMPTON. 

